Usue Mori Carrascal, researcher, professor, and coordinator of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) degree at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), sat down with us to recount the history of AI, from its beginnings to the current boom. This researcher, a winner of the Gladys Award, will guide us through the technology's hidden past, starting with examples of AI (from chess programs to Siri) that have been in our lives since the 1950s, and will alert us about the responsibilities of its future.

In this interview, Usue Mori Carrascal discusses the true origins of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which began in 1956, and the developments preceding ChatGPT. The conversation delves into Moris's research on the mining of time series data, with a crucial focus on its application in healthcare, such as the understanding and potential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Furthermore, the risk of AI falling exclusively into the hands of large corporations is rigorously addressed, highlighting the lack of transparency and the severe social discrimination generated by algorithmic biases. To counteract these challenges and foster an ethical and inclusive AI, the objectives of the Ondare project and the HackMorea initiative will be presented.

Finally, the expert emphasizes the fundamental need for citizen education to build a true digital democracy and fully comprehend the limits of this technology.

EHUpodcast: Science you can hear

EHUpodcast is the new initiative from the University of the Basque Country (EHU) to bring science closer to society. Under the motto "Entzun ta zabal zazu" (Listen and share/spread), this monthly interview podcast presents the work of EHU researchers from all disciplines in an enjoyable, clear, and accessible way.

EHUpodcast seeks to bring scientific knowledge closer to the public, foster critical thinking, and spark the curiosity of the general audience. The interviews are published in Basque or Spanish and are accompanied by translated transcriptions also available in English, thus ensuring accessibility for all interested individuals.

The initiative was driven by the Directorate for the Social Dissemination of Research with the collaboration of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication, where the episodes are recorded. The interviews, coordinated and presented by Tania Arriaga, a professor in the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising, have been developed with the involvement of the Bitartez research group.

The podcast can now be heard on EHUpodcast, on the Directorate for the Social Dissemination of Research website, and on the main podcast platforms.

EHUpodcast